Axe falls on headmasters, staff in Nagarkurnool district

Nagarkurnool: Over 20 students fell ill after having midday meals at a government school at Charakonda village in Nagarkurnool district last week. The incident came to light on Wednesday.

After eating midday meals, the students started vomiting. Following this, the District Education Officer conducted a surprise checks in schools and found that poor quality meals were served to students in some schools. 

According to Nagarkurnool DEO Sahadev, during his surprise visits to various schools in the district during the last two to three months, it was foun d that in the absence of supervision by the authorities concerned, the quality of midday meal programme had deteriorated.  

“During our inspections we have found that there is a lack of proper supervision over the midday meal served to the students in government schools. Because of which the agencies serving the food are not providing good quality meal to the students and it became the cause for concern,” observed the DEO. 

The school teachers and the agencies supplying food to the students were not taking measures to ensure quality food to students. The headmasters and the school staff, who are supposed to monitor the programme, failed in their duties miserably.

“Based on our inquiry we have issued suspension orders against all those who are guilty of dereliction of duty. We have not spared the agencies or the principals of the schools,” said the DEO.

During the investigations, it was found that the agencies allegedly procured poor quality of raw materials. Parents and students alike had alleged that the agencies had never followed the prescribed menu.

“Along with half-cooked rice, we are served with watery dal or sambar which contains little or no vegetables,” complained the students who were served with poor quality of rice and sambar at a government school in Kondanagula village in Achampet. 

Fed up with the attitude of the school authorities and the food supplying agencies, recently some of the school students from Government High School in Kondanagula village of Balmoor mandal in Nagarkurnool district even approached  the Human Rights Commission, after which the District Education Department was given directions for enquiries and investigations on the issue.